Glenn Younking will become governor of Virginia on Saturday| Today Headlines

Several receptions were held before the inaugural ceremony at the State Capitol in Richmond. Some of these events include a prayer breakfast, dinner at the Science Museum of Virginia and a women’s tea hosted by Virginia’s new first lady, Suzanne Youngkin. A parade will immediately follow the swearing-in ceremony where the participants will parade on the Place du Capitole.

“The opening weekend theme celebrates the spirit of Virginia, tied to a rich history, but an even more exciting future as Virginians come together to make Virginia the best place to live, work and raise a family,” the incoming governor-elect said. said the first lady.

His predecessor, Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, declared a state of emergency on Friday ahead of a storm expected to hit the state this weekend. Youngkin’s spokesman, Macaulay Porter, said the governor-elect received information from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and is “actively coordinating procedures with them in the event of impending weather.”

Youngkin faces a number of other immediate challenges after being sworn in, including guiding the state through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and figuring out how best to mitigate record inflation. He plans to move forward with a host of pandemic-related executive actions, including the repeal of the vaccination mandate for state employees and mask requirements put in place by Northam. The Virginia Department of Health currently requires mask-wearing in K-12 schools and on public transportation.

During the campaign, the 55-year-old ran on a “Day One” game plan, which included eliminating Virginia’s grocery tax, firing the parole board and creating new charter schools, among other promises.

Youngkin’s first set of executive actions included a repeal of mask and vaccine mandates.

“We will take politics out of the classrooms…we will teach all of our history, good and bad,” Youngkin also said in a nod to his executive action on critical race theory in Virginia classrooms.

“There’s no place for critical race theory in our school system, and that’s why, day one, I’m going to ban it,” Youngkin said in an interview with Fox News in the latest. campaign days last fall.

These were among nine executive orders and two executive directives Youngkin signed on Saturday, according to a news release.

The governor-elect has spent the past few weeks announcing key roles for his administration. Among the most prominent choices is Andrew Wheeler, the former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Trump administration, for natural resources secretary. Wheeler has already encountered resistance from Virginia Democrats.

Youngkin’s victory in November marked a sea change in the fortunes of Republicans in Virginia, just a year after President Joe Biden won the state by 10 points. The party will now have control of the Governor’s Mansion, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office and the House of Delegates.

Republicans across the country could try to replicate his campaign strategy of lukewarmly distancing himself from Trump in the 2022 midterm elections. He received praise in November at the Republican Governors Association meeting for his ability to win a strongly Democratic state by focusing on education and public safety. Republicans are defending 20 governorates this year and hope to make progress in blue states.